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As I stood next to Palm Tran Executive Director Clinton Forbes near the Mall at Wellington Green on Friday morning, I realized I needed to make a confession.

“This,” I said, somewhat sheepishly, “will be my first time riding Palm Tran. And I’ve lived in Palm Beach County for more than 20 years.”

But that was the point of Public Transit Day, a new initiative launched this year that encouraged South Florida residents and local officials to take public transit for one day, Dec. 9. The goal: Start a conversation on how to improve the system.

Those who participated went to the event’s website to “take the pledge.” Organizers also encouraged residents to post to social media using the hashtag #PublicTransitDay.

Uhren rode his bike to catch a bus that met us at the mall, then Neilson and he transferred to another bus to take them to the MPO’s office just north of Okeechobee Boulevard on Jog Road in suburban West Palm Beach.

Palm Tran RPM

On the 30-minute ride to the Intermodal Transit Center, Forbes told me about a new initiative Palm Tran is launching early next year to take more of a comprehensive look at the transit system in Palm Beach County. It’s called RPM — short for Route Performance Maximization.

“We want to rev up our transit system,” Forbes said. The key to that, he added, is having a “robust conversation” with the community. And that means going beyond the traditional public meeting.

When we arrived at the intermodal center, my solo part of the adventure began. On Uhren’s recommendation, I boarded a southbound Tri-Rail train heading for Delray Beach, then took Delray’s free trolley to grab breakfast at Subculture Coffee on Atlantic Avenue.

That’s when I had to make a decision: How do I get back north? And where do I go? Neilson had recommended an app called Transit, which pulls information from multiple transportation options, including Uber, to help travelers find the fastest route. Using the app, I decided to take Tri-Rail to its Lake Worth station, and then take Palm Tran Route 62 west back to the mall in Wellington.

First and last mile

One of the major issues facing transit users is what’s referred to by planners as “the first and last mile.” The first mile is the path a rider takes to get to the train station or bus stop, and the last mile is from the point where they leave transit until they get to their destination.

I had help with my first and last mile on Friday from my husband, Peter, who kindly woke up at 6 a.m. to take me to the bus stop, and then picked me up when I returned to the Mall at Wellington Green close to 11 a.m.

But not everyone can find a ride. Miami residents Rebecca Fishman Lipsey and Marta Viciedo, who started the push for Public Transit Day, enlisted Lyft to help close that gap.

“Strengthening public transit is critical to the success and vitality of our community, and everybody can play a role by getting their bodies on public transit,” Lipsey told me last week.